Vikings receiver who joined Randy Moss and Mike Evans as the only players ever with six straight 1,000-yard seasons to start a career.
Justin Jefferson didn't have his cleanest season in 2025, but he still hit 1,000 yards for the sixth consecutive year. Only Randy Moss and Mike Evans had ever done that to open an NFL career. Jefferson is 26, signed through 2028, and remains the gold standard of route-running at the WR position.
Path to the league
LSU national champion in 2019 alongside Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase. Finished his college career third in school history in receiving touchdowns. Vikings took him 22nd overall in 2020 and the production was immediate: 88 catches, 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns as a rookie.
Career highlights
2022 NFL Offensive Player of the Year (1,809 receiving yards, one of the great single-season receiver lines ever). Four-time Pro Bowler. Three-time first-team All-Pro. Holds the single-season NFL record for receiving yards through a player's first four seasons. Signed a four-year, $140 million extension in 2024 that made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in football.
2025 season recap
84 catches for 1,048 yards and two touchdowns. The receiving totals dropped because the Vikings cycled through three different starting quarterbacks (J.J. McCarthy hurt early, Daniel Jones in for a stretch, Sam Howell to close). The 1,000-yard milestone made Jefferson the first receiver in modern NFL history to do so without a stable starting QB.
What to watch in 2026
J.J. McCarthy enters year three as the unquestioned starter. Minnesota drafted offensive line help and added two veteran tackles in free agency. Jefferson's 8,480 career receiving yards put him on pace to crack the all-time top 25 by age 27. The bigger question is whether McCarthy can unlock his ceiling.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Justin Jefferson
- Pro Football Reference: Justin Jefferson
- Vikings: Justin Jefferson 2025 outlook
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Receiving
17 games played▶Receiving · career
| Year | Team | GP | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | vikings | 6 | 28 | 335 | 12.0 | 4 | 39 |
| 2025 | vikings | 17 | 84 | 1,048 | 12.5 | 2 | 50 |
| 2024 | vikings | 17 | 103 | 1,533 | 14.9 | 10 | 97 |
| 2023 | vikings | 10 | 68 | 1,074 | 15.8 | 5 | 52 |
| 2022 | vikings | 17 | 128 | 1,809 | 14.1 | 8 | 64 |
| 2021 | vikings | 17 | 108 | 1,616 | 15.0 | 10 | 56 |
| 2020 | vikings | 16 | 88 | 1,400 | 15.9 | 7 | 71 |
▶Rushing · career
| Year | Team | GP | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | vikings | 6 | 1 | -11 | -11.0 | 0 | -11 |
| 2025 | vikings | 17 | 2 | 7 | 3.5 | 0 | 4 |
| 2024 | vikings | 17 | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 0 | 3 |
| 2023 | vikings | 10 | 1 | -12 | -12.0 | 0 | -12 |
| 2022 | vikings | 17 | 4 | 24 | 6.0 | 1 | 10 |
| 2021 | vikings | 17 | 6 | 14 | 2.3 | 0 | 11 |
| 2020 | vikings | 16 | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 0 | 2 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Wide Receiver
- Group
- offense
- College
- LSU
- Hometown
- Saint Rose, LA, USA
- Age
- 27
- Status
- active
Latest news about Justin Jefferson
All news →Vikings Beat Colts 16-10 in Week 7
Minnesota Vikings 16, Indianapolis Colts 10 at U.S. Bank Stadium. Kyler Murray went 14 of 24 for 150 yards with 1 touchdown.
AI Predicts Every Week 7 Game of the 2026 NFL Season
After an 8-of-14 Week 6 with two big High-confidence upsets, the model picks all 14 Week 7 games, from Patriots-Bears on Thursday to Cowboys-Eagles on Monday night, with only Minnesota rated High.
Vikings Beat Saints 23-13 in Week 5
Minnesota Vikings 23, New Orleans Saints 13 at Caesars Superdome. Kyler Murray went 24 of 30 for 229 yards with 1 touchdown.
Vikings Sign Odell Beckham Jr. to Practice Squad With Jefferson and Addison Hurt
Beckham, 33, had no catches in three games for the Giants before his release. Kevin O'Connell, who coached him in Los Angeles in 2021, did not rule out elevating him for Sunday at New Orleans.
AI Predicts Every Week 5 Game of the 2026 NFL Season
After an 11-of-16 Week 4, the model picks all 15 Week 5 games, from Thursday's Buccaneers-Cowboys to Bills-Rams on Monday night, with 49ers-Seahawks and Ravens-Falcons the closest calls.
Vikings Beat Dolphins 15-10 in Week 4
Minnesota Vikings 15, Miami Dolphins 10 at U.S. Bank Stadium. Kyler Murray went 27 of 37 for 247 yards.
